M.D. Program

The M.D. program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville is a unique journey into the world of medicine that begins with hands-on clinical training as Emergency Medical Technicians, and continues through exploration of the scientific, social, clinical and cultural facets of the profession. Located in Greenville, SC the school joins the campus of Greenville Memorial Hospital, one of eight medical campuses belonging to Greenville Health System; an integrated healthcare delivery system and the largest hospital system in South Carolina. The curriculum is an integrated blend of interactive experiences from classroom to bedside that are designed to foster and enhance the acquisition of essential knowledge, communication, diagnostic and problem solving skills, and lead to application, critical thinking and patient care. USCSOM Greenville focuses on student-centered learning as the roadmap for the life-long learning continuum from undergraduate to graduate and continuing medical education. Click here for a recent article from Focus Magazine highlighting the innovative Medical School curriculum.

Program highlights include:

Emergency Medical Technician Training: Students will be introduced to the world of medicine and learn real patient care skills during their first weeks in the program as the foundation for their medical education. They will periodically follow a patient from pick-up in the field through the emergency department to admission in the hospital, discharge and follow-up. They will be active members in the health care team and develop an understanding of the complexities surrounding the real practice of medicine from teamwork, to patient safety, cultural and psychosocial issues, and essential documentation. Click here for a recent article from Focus Magazine featuring Emergency Medical Technician training in the medical curriculum.

Clinical Experiences: Clinical experiences are embedded throughout the curriculum as students will practice and apply newly obtained knowledge and skills in the 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, then engage in real-patient encounters through teaching rounds in the on-campus Greenville Memorial Hospital and Clinics.

Patient Focused Research: Patient experiences will provide the basis for the development and completion of a research project that will span the four year program. From curiosity to true scientific inquiry, students will work in teams to address needs in healthcare through educational, translational and comparative effectiveness research. Their explorations will be guided through the direction of recognized researcher-mentors.

The learning environment at USCSOM Greenville includes the use of wireless and mobile technology, electronic resources and media, an abundance of small group and individual study spaces all designed to support the learning needs and styles of all students, Greenville Memorial Hospital, the Greenville Health System and its entire integrated healthcare delivery team.

Relationship with University of South Carolina

The M.D. program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville builds on an already successful, 20-year-old partnership between the University of South Carolina and the Greenville Health System (GHS).

That partnership has allowed third- and fourth-year USC School of Medicine Columbia medical students to complete their final two years of education at GHS. With the recent accreditation of the M.D. program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, students will now be able to complete all four years of their medical training at GHS. The charter class of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville enrolled 53 first year medical students in August 2012, with that number growing to 100 first year medical students by 2015, and an ultimate 400 medical students over all four years of education.

The University of South Carolina is one of only seven universities with two separately accredited M.D. programs. Separate accreditation permits the two USC medical schools to provide separate and distinct curricula geared to the strengths and philosophies of each school. Together, these two USC medical schools will help combat the state's ongoing physician shortage by permitting a greater combined number of MD graduates.